


Truly, Madly, Deeply

by invisible_slytherin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dancing, Draco comments quidditch, Drinking, F/F, Greg is definitely out of character, Gryffindor/Slytherin Inter-House Relationships, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, Party Games, Post-War, Quidditch, Slow Dancing, Slytherin Pride, Truth or Dare, a little out of character maybe???, and Blaise is the Slytherin seeker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-07-12 19:22:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16001690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/invisible_slytherin/pseuds/invisible_slytherin
Summary: After the war things in Hogwarts changed. The students grew up after what they had gone through and some of them started questioning the rivalry and animosity between the houses. Draco had always known that he was a Slytherin and he had always loved it, disliking Gryffindors, and Harry Potter in special, had always been in his blood, but, with the new year, things are different and everything is bound to change even more. Getting to know the Gryffindors proves to be different from what he expected, but an amazing experience nonetheless.





	1. Leave Your Lover

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this back in May/June of last year as a Drarry fanfic, but then I became Thiam trash and I just couldn't bring myself to write Drarry anymore so I hadn't touched this work since then and so I finished writing it as Thiam. Now, I decided that I'm still Drarry trash after all and that I still really wanted this to be Drarry, so here we are.
> 
> What a mess
> 
> It's drarry now, the past doesn't matter.

> _ I will give you all of me _ _   
>  _ _ Just leave your lover, leave him for me _ _   
>  _ _ Leave your lover, leave him for me _ _   
>  _ _ We sit in bars and raise our drinks to growing old _ _   
>  _ _ Oh, I'm in love with you and you will never know _ _   
>  _ _   
>  _ _ \- Leave Your Lover by Sam Smith _

* * *

  
  
"Are you okay, Draco?" Pansy put a hand on his arm.   
  
They were sitting on the grass near the lake, the wind wasn't cold, the sun was shining shyly since it was early in the morning, and they wanted to be outside and enjoy the nice weather while they could. The cold days weren't far.   
  
"What?" The boy blinked before looking at her.   
  
"You spaced out. What were you looking at?"   
  
Draco shook his head. "Nothing."   
  
She looked at him like she didn't believe what he was saying, but dropped the subject and started talking about homework. Draco was glad that she respected his silence and didn't make him talk; he didn't want to tell her what he was looking at, she would have questions and he wouldn't be able to answer them. He didn't have the answers, he didn't know why he was always following the boy with his eyes.   
  
Since Harry Potter and his friends had come to the Slytherin table one morning, on the first week back at Hogwarts, asking for a truce, Draco found his eyes glued to the boy, whenever he was in sight. Draco couldn't stop doing it and he wasn't about to tell Pansy that; knowing her, she would try to put crazy ideas in his head and nothing pretty would come out of it.   
  
"Are you coming with us today?" Her voice interrupted his confused thoughts.   
  
"Where?"   
  
"The Three Broomsticks, obviously," she raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you forgot."   
  
Seeing Draco looking clueless, she shook her head and sighed. She knew that something was worrying him, but she knew him well enough to know that he would only tell her what was wrong when he wanted to.   
  
"Harry and his friends invited us to go with them," Pansy clarified.   
  
"They did?" He looked at her surprised.   
  
"Yes, Draco," she rolled her eyes. "You were there when they did."   
  
"I must have been distracted," he shrugged   
  
"Yeah, distracted," she smirked like she knew something he didn’t. "Are you coming with us or not?"   
  
"I don't see why not."   
  


* * *

  
  
It was the beginning of October. The sun was high, covered by white clouds, there was no wind and the air was warm. The weather being so nice was a little unusual, but the Hogwarts' students were happy to enjoy it, especially the 3rd years and above since it was a Hogsmeade trip weekend.   
  
That's why the Slytherins could go there and meet with Harry and his friends outside of the castle. Draco, Pansy and Blaise - Greg had detention and wasn't able to get out of it to go with them, - were walking to the Three Broomsticks and talking about the last potions class and the mess a Ravenclaw boy made when he spilt his cauldron.   
  
"If it was with Professor Snape, he would be dead by now," Pansy laughed.   
  
"True," Draco nodded. "Potions isn't the same with Professor Slughorn."   
  
"At least with Professor Snape we were always on top," Blaise smirked and pointed at the Slytherin crest on his uniform.   
  
"That really wasn't fair," Pansy faked a pout.   
  
"And we are not Hufflepuffs to care."   
  
They were laughing when they opened The Three Broomsticks' door, which attracted some attention to them, they tried to ignore it and looked around to find the people they had come to meet. 

The Gryffindors were already sitting at one of the tables; Ron and Hermione were talking quietly among themselves; Potter, with his arm around Ginny’s shoulders and a glass of Butterbeer in his hand, was talking to Neville and the environment around the table was relaxed and friendly.   
  
When she saw them, Pansy waved her way between the other people and the tables with Draco and Blaise following her and sat on one of the vacant chairs at the table.  
  
"Hello," she smiled. "Did we make you guys wait?"  
  
"Not much," Hermione returned the smile. "We got here five minutes ago, more or less."  
  
"Good," Pansy looked behind her at the two boys she had come with. "Aren't you guys going to sit?"  
  
Blaise shared a look with Draco and shrugged sitting on the empty chair next to Neville, leaving Draco to sit next to Pansy and in front of Potter. When they were all seated, Pansy called the waitress and ordered Butterbeers for all of them.  
  
"I'll pay this round," she winked.  
  
The waitress came with the drinks and smiled warmly at them after she looked at their uniforms.  
  
"The last time I saw such a big group of both Slytherins and Gryffindors was a long time ago."  
  
"I hope you see more groups like ours,” Potter smiled at her. "The rivalry between the houses, especially Gryffindor and Slytherin, is ridiculous," he looked directly at Draco when he said the last part, making the boy frown.  
  
With a last warm smile, the waitress left them alone and went to another table.  
  
"So, how's life?" Neville asked after an awkward silence that no one really knew how to fill.  
  
"You really don't know how to make conversation, do you?" Blaise laughed and the other boy blushed, looking down. "Hey, don't be like that; I'm not making fun of you."  
  
"Are you sure, Zabini?" Ron glared.  
  
"Ron," Hermione warned.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure, Weasley. If I were making fun of Neville, here, I would have said something meaner," Blaise rolled his eyes at how dramatic the Gryffindor was being.  
  
Ron looked like he was ready to answer, but Neville beat him to it. "Honestly, don't start fighting now. I didn't even feel offended."  
  
"If you're sure, Neville," Ron sighed.  
  
"I have a question," Pansy interrupted, suddenly. "Since when have you two been together?" She gestured to Harry and Ginny.  
  
Draco knew that she was only trying to stop a possible word-fight between Blaise and Ron; she loved gossip, there was no way she didn't know since when Potter and his girlfriend were together. And practically everyone knew about their romance, it was _Harry Potter_ after all, and everything about him made it to the front page of newspapers and magazines. 

Despite that, Draco thought that the effort she was making to have Slytherins and Gryffindors getting along was amazing; he would never have guessed just how determined she could be about something like that.   
  
"Not that long," the other girl smiled. "Though, I have had a crush on him since forever."   
  
Everyone except the three Slytherins laughed like it was some kind of inside joke between them and Potter blushed, muttering something under his breath. However, even though they were laughing about the subject, there was some kind of tension between Potter and his girlfriend that no one seemed to notice, or everyone seemed to ignore.   
  
But they weren't the only tense ones, Draco felt something weird creep inside him and felt himself getting stiff when they, maybe trying to ignore the tension, moved a little closer. 

Draco couldn't understand what was happening to him or why he was having this reaction to seeing Potter with Ginny; the last time he had felt something remotely like this had been back in 4th year when Pansy had been flirting with an older Slytherin boy at the Yule Ball when she was supposed to be his date, but the situation was completely different now or wasn't it?   
  
From the corner of her eye, Pansy saw Draco looking down at his glass of Butterbeer like it was some riddle he was trying to solve and shook her head. Her best friend was acting weird again, just like he had been for weeks now. She was starting to get worried about him, it wasn't normal to see Draco space out, his gaze focusing for some time on something she wasn’t sure he was even seeing, sighing and glaring, but it was happening and she knew something was wrong with him. She would do anything to find out what it was and how she could make it better, she just wanted to help her friend, but she didn't know how to.   
  
"Draco," she called.   
  
The boy looked startled at her. "Yeah?"   
  
"You just spaced out, again," she said when she felt the others looking at them. There was no way she would confront him in front of them.   
  
"I was just thinking," he shrugged and took a gulp of his drink. Always the same excuse, he wasn't fooling her though.   
  
"If you say so," she looked at him thoughtfully, before turning to talk to Ginny.   
  
Draco just sighed and started tracing random patterns on the table with his finger, still deep in thought. Why had he felt like something inside him was squeezing painfully when they started talking about Potter and his girlfriend? It couldn't be like 4th year, it just couldn't. It made no sense.   
  
Suddenly, Draco felt a foot nudge his under the table and looked up, catching Harry’s eyes. Draco raised an eyebrow - what did Potter want? Harry didn't talk and just looked at Draco with interest and curiosity as if he was trying to read him, and Draco had never thought that he would ever be the one Potter would look at in that way, they had always looked at each other with something like... He didn't exactly know what, but it wasn't like this, that was for sure, it was more the opposite. Something fluttered inside him and Draco cursed himself, not wanting to know what it was.   
  
After looking at him like he was trying to guess what the boy was thinking for a few more seconds, Harry just shook his head and looked away; leaving Draco to try and understand what the gaze and the feelings swirling inside him meant.   
  


* * *

  
  
"Today was surprisingly fun," Pansy sat on one of the sofas in the Slytherin common room.   
  
This year Hogwarts was different. During the final battle the castle had suffered a lot of damage and everyone knew it would never be the same; some parts of the castle were still forbidden since they still hadn't been repaired, but the determination to open the school in September had made the professors and people all around Great Britain work hard during the Summer so it would be possible. It still wasn't finished, but they were getting there. The common rooms were still the same though, and the Slytherins were grateful for that, they wouldn’t have wanted to say goodbye to the place they had been calling home for years.

  
"Who could have guessed that little Potter and his friends could be fun," Blaise laughed.   
  
It was true; in their eyes, those Gryffindors were just a bunch of idiots who got themselves in unnecessary danger impulsively, especially Harry Potter who always jumped into any sign of danger like he loved the thrill and the attention, with his ride or die friends always seconds behind him. In a way, Draco could see exactly why they had done some of the things they had done, things that had to been done, but, at the same time, a lot of what they had done throughout the years had seemed way too unnecessary. But the war had changed all of them, and now, even though it was really surprising to them, the Slytherins were glad they had the chance to get to know them better.

  
Pansy and Blaise continued talking for a while, commenting on the afternoon and the people they had spent it with. Blaise was still wary of them, but Pansy was starting to like them, after all, she saw in Ginny and Hermione two girls that she could be friends with, and she was glad for the opportunity since her female friends hadn't returned to Hogwarts after the war, preferring to move to Beauxbatons. Spending time with her boys was good and she loved them, but some female time was something that she needed sometimes.   
  
Pansy was getting ready to argue with Blaise some more and defend Ginny against something idiotic he was saying when she noticed the missing piece of their group (the one that wasn't in detention) sitting by the window. She nudged Blaise, cutting him mid-sentence and making him scowl, before pointing at Draco.   
  
"Draco?" She called softly.   
  
The boy was looking at the merpeople that passed by the window, with his knees to his chest and his arms around them, with a frown and a thoughtful expression on his face. He didn't look like he had heard her at all.   
  
"What's wrong with him?" Blaise asked, in a whisper so Draco wouldn't hear.   
  
"I don't know," the girl sighed. "He has been like this almost since the beginning of the year."   
  
"Do you think it's because of all that happened? The war, the Dark Lord, his parents..."   
  
"Honestly, I don't think so. It seems like something different."   
  
Not knowing what was wrong with their friend, but wanting to help, they both got up and walked to the window where he was; Pansy sat next to him and Blaise leaned against the wall.   
  
"What's wrong, Draco?"   
  
He shrugged. "Nothing."   
  
"That's not true and we all know it. I've ignored it for too long. You are our friend, Draco, we worry about you."   
  
"And I'm thankful for that, but..." he sighed and looked at his friends. "I don't know what's wrong with me."   
  
Blaise and Pansy fell silent and looked at each other, but none of them knew what to say. They had never seen Draco looking so defeated; it didn't look good on him. Blaise put a hand on his arm and Pansy an arm around his shoulders, trying to comfort him somehow. They weren't good with comforting, none of them was, so they really didn't know what more they could do to show that they were there for Draco, no matter what.   
  
But they didn't need to do more than that, Draco knew that they cared and worried about him and he was really glad that he had them both as friends. Knowing that they were there for him, that they respected his silence and could comfort him without any words meant a lot to him.   
  
Draco had always known that he was a Slytherin, the hat had only confirmed it, and ever since first year he had always felt welcomed and at home with the snakes like it was there where he belonged. But he had never felt quite like this, he had never felt so grateful for the colours he wore; the sorting hat had been right, he had found his true friends amongst Slytherins and, thinking about it, he realized that the house had never meant more to him.   
  
They stayed in silence, looking out the window for some time, with the light weight of comfort above them; and Draco didn't need more than that.   
  


* * *

  
Draco was at the Slytherin table with Pansy, Blaise and Greg having lunch. It was Friday, one week of socializing with new people and Blaise was telling one of his famous stories, the story of that one time he went to France. Well, he had gone there multiple times, he didn't fail to remember them, but that one time was special.   
  
"Blaise, darling, we really don't care about your rendezvous with French girls and boys," Pansy rolled her eyes.   
  
"Shut up, Pansy, even if you aren't interested that doesn't mean Draco and Greg aren't."   
  
"We are not," Draco said without missing a beat.   
  
"Not, really," Greg agreed.   
  
Blaise shut up after that, muttering to himself about stupid friends, amazing French girls and handsome French boys while eating his food. He didn't look at his friends for some time, letting his eyes roam the Great Hall and avoiding them, even though he wanted to add something to the conversation sometimes, he was making a point of showing them he was mad.   
  
"What do you think it's happening?" Blaise pointed at the Gryffindor table, completely forgetting just how annoyed by his friends he was at the sight of possible drama and gossip.   
  
"Trouble in paradise," Pansy stared at the other table with a frown.   
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
"I think it's something between Ginny and Harry."   
  
"Why do you say that?"   
  
"She looks mad and he looks like he is trying to get a point across."   
  
They all looked at the Gryffindors curiously. They weren't making a scene and if Blaise hadn't been observing the other students while not looking at his friends, they wouldn't have noticed that something was happening at all, but now that they had it was obvious that something wasn't okay and that Ginny and Harry were in the middle of the argument.   
  
"Maybe he cheated," Greg suggested.   
  
"I don't think so," Pansy shook her head. "Harry isn't the cheating type."   
  
"How do you know that?" Blaise asked.   
  
"I just think that he appreciates what he has too much and knows the importance everything has. He wouldn't do something that could make him lose her. She is too important. He’s not that kind of person."   
  
"How do you know Potter so well?" Blaise looked at her surprised.   
  
"I don't know him, I'm just assuming," she smirked. "But, to answer your question, it's because I'm observant. Unlike you."   
  
"What do you think, Draco?"   
  
"What?" Draco looked up from his food.   
  
"Do you agree with Pansy?"   
  
Draco knew that she was right; he had spent so much time watching Potter that he had picked up some things. Potter was the kind of guy that cherished what he had and did everything to keep it with him and out of danger, he wouldn't do something as stupid as cheating. But Draco would never admit just how well he had gotten to know Potter just by observing him, it would come out a little weird and his friends would ask him questions, so he wouldn't say any of that.   
  
"I think she might be right," he shrugged.   
  
"OK, then, I give up" Blaise raised his hands in surrender but there was an amused smile on his face.   
  
They kept eating while keeping an eye on the Gryffindor table, still trying to understand what was happening and speculating about what it could be. Some of their theories were pretty plausible, but some others were the stupidest anyone could have come up with and they had a good laugh about it before anything changed at the other table.   
  
"I'm gonna talk to Ginny," Pansy got up when she saw the girl exiting the Great Hall, calling Ginny’s name and not looking back at her friends.   
  
"Since when are they friends?" Greg looked at Draco, confused.   
  
"I don't know, but let them be," he shrugged. "She needs some girl friends."   
  
"You’re right," Greg nodded. "She needs someone to talk with about makeup and dresses and all that shit that we don't understand."   
  
"At least we will know what happened over there," Blaise looked at the Gryffindor table where Hermione and Ron were looking sympathetically at Potter, who had his head in his hands.   
  
"I guess we will," Draco laughed at the smirk on his friend's face.   
  


* * *

  
  
Later that day, Draco, Greg and Blaise were sitting in the Slytherin common room, Draco was helping a 1st year with his homework and Blaise and Greg were playing chess.   
  
"Do you think it will take Pansy long to come back?" Blaise asked while moving one of his pieces.   
  
"I don't know," Greg shrugged. "Why?"   
  
Draco rolled his eyes, already knowing the answer to Greg’s question - Blaise wanted gossip, - and ignored them, focusing on answering the questions of the little boy he was helping.   
  
He had always liked studying in the common room more than studying in the library; he knew that the older Slytherins would always be willing to answer the youngers’ questions and help them with what they needed. Now that he is one of the older ones, it's his duty to help the little Slytherins.   
  
Some time after that, when the 1st year boy had finished his homework and the chess game had finished with Greg’s victory, the three boys were sitting on the sofas, waiting for Pansy to return.   
  
"Parkinson!" Blaise called when the girl (finally) got in the common room.   
  
"What do you want, Zabini?" She grinned, knowingly.   
  
"Did you talk to Ginny?"   
  
"Yes, I did," she sat on the sofa next to Draco. "You want to gossip, don't you, Blaise?"   
  
"Is that even a question?" He smirked.   
  
“Harry and Ginny broke up," she sighed.   
  
"Why?" Draco asked.   
  
She shrugged.   
  
"Ginny said that their relationship wasn't working. That they are better off as friends."   
  
"Are they okay?" Draco asked after a little silence.   
  
"Are you worried about Gryffindors, Draco?" Greg raised an eyebrow.   
  
"Aren't we supposed to be their friends? That's why I'm asking."   
  
"Anyway, according to Ginny, even though they had an argument, they are both fine and know it was for the best."   
  
"So, Ginny is single now..." Blaise smirked.   
  
"Seriously, Blaise?" Pansy shook her head. "The girl just got out of a relationship."   
  
"So what? You said that she was fine."   
  
"You're impossible," she laughed.   
  
Draco looked at his laughing friends with raised eyebrows and smiled, forgetting the Gryffindors and shaking his head at the Slytherins, knowing that he couldn't ask for better friends. Even if he made new friends, these three would always be a part of his life and he wouldn't trade them for anything.


	2. Do I Wanna Know

> _ Have you got colour in your cheeks? _
> 
> _ Do you ever get that feelin' that you can't shift the tide _
> 
> _ That sticks around like summat's in your teeth _
> 
> _ Ah, there's some aces up your sleeve _
> 
> _ Have you no idea that you're in deep _
> 
> _ I dreamt about you nearly every night this week _
> 
> _ How many secrets can you keep? _
> 
> _  - Do I Wanna Know by Arctic Monkeys _

* * *

__

 

"We are going to hang out tonight," was the first thing Blaise said when he and Draco sat at the Gryffindor table where Harry Potter was eating with Neville Longbottom and Ron Weasley.

 

The three of them looked up, startled and surprised to see the two Slytherins at their table. After all, it was rather unusual and a little weird to see Draco and Blaise surrounded by people wearing red.

 

"What?" Harry looked at them confused.

 

"Don't ask me," Draco shrugged.

 

It had all been Blaise's idea, Draco was just going with it since it was an excuse to have some fun, even if it was with some reckless idiots who liked danger a little too much.

 

"Since you've broken up with your girlfriend, I think you deserve an only boys night out; so, we are going to hang out," Blaise said like it was final, not leaving any room for them to argue.

 

"What?" Ron asked.

 

Slytherins inviting then to go out with them? Especially Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini? It was like a promise of trouble.

“We have a curfew,” Neville reminded.

 

"We know what we’re doing. Just trust us,” Blaise winked.

 

“Meet us in the empty classroom on the seventh floor, try not to get caught.”

 

“Come on, Draco."

 

Draco laughed at the confused boys in front of him and then left the table with Blaise. The feeling of leaving those three dumbfounded was almost as good as annoying them.

 

"You're really something, Blaise," he shook his head in amusement.

 

"And you only figured that out now?" Blaise smirked.

 

* * *

 

Draco and Blaise were hiding in an empty classroom, waiting for Harry, Ron and Neville to get there.

 

"Do you think they will come?" Draco asked after ten minutes of waiting.

 

Draco was starting to doubt that the others would appear; why would they? They had never been friends with them, - hell, if there is something they had never been, it's friends, - so why would they want to hang out with them all of a sudden? Why did Draco and Blaise and the other Slytherins want to hang out with them all of a sudden? Draco didn't know, and he thought that maybe he would never have the answer to that question, but he would keep hanging out with them, if they let him, because the time they had spent together had been a nice change, not that he would ever admit it out loud.

 

"They will," Blaise smirked. "We left then too curious."

 

"If you say so..." Draco took a gulp of his Butterbeer.

 

Five minutes after that, Harry and Ron opened the door and widened their eyes a little, when seeing Draco and Blaise sitting at one of the tables. They really hadn't expected to see them there, a part of them thought that the Slytherins were just messing with them. With weary steps, they made their way inside the classroom and stopped in front of the two Slytherins. Draco wanted to laugh at their expressions and posture.

 

"Surprised to see us here?" Blaise smirked.

 

"Can't say we aren't," Ron said cooly.

 

"You shouldn't be," Draco shrugged. "We said we would be here, didn't we?"

 

"Can't really trust Slytherins, can we, Malfoy?"

 

"Ron," Harry warned before Draco could tell Weasley a piece of his mind about Gryffindors.

 

“Where’s Neville?” Blaise asked.

 

“He had to help his girlfriend with something, he couldn’t come,” Ron said.

 

"Ok, we’ll have fun without him then,” Blaise shrugged. “We're here to drink until we get wasted, to celebrate Harry's break up," Blaise glared at both Draco and Ron. "Can you two shut up with that rivalry, or whatever, for one night?"

 

"Celebrating my break up?" Harry asked dumbfounded before either Draco or Ron could react to Blaise’s warning.

 

"It's something we have to celebrate, Harry. You are finally free to do what you want, without that girl all over you!" Blaise shrugged like it was obvious.

 

"Hey, that girl is my sister!" Weasley glared.

"Shut up, Weasley. I didn't mean any harm by it," Blaise rolled his eyes.

Blaise smirked at Draco after that and winked, making his friend laugh since he already knew what was going to happen. Blaise walked up to one of the tables and grabbed the two bottles he had hidden under it so that the other guys wouldn’t notice them as soon as they walked into the classroom.

“How did you manage to bring Firewhiskey into the castle?” Ron asked, surprise clear in his voice.

 

“Fairly easily, if I’m being honest,” Blaise smiled.

 

“How the hell did you manage to get it in the first place?” Harry’s eyes were wide in surprise.

 

“You brought it from home?” Ron guessed.

 

“No, I bought it last week in Hogsmeade.”

 

"You're telling me that you somehow convinced a shop employee to sell you Firewhiskey?”

 

“It’s the Zabini charm,” Blaise smirked.

 

They were old enough to drink if they were accompanied by their parents or any other adult, but not old enough to buy Firewhiskey on their own, especially during the school year. There was a policy between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade that prohibited shops and pubs from selling such drinks to students.

 

“So you flirted with the employee?”

 

"I didn't say that," Blaise chuckled. "I didn't flirt with her... I just asked for the drinks."

 

"And she gave them to you?"

 

"Yes," he said simply.

 

Draco was sitting on top of a table, watching the conversation go back and forth, an amused expression on his face, his hand covering his mouth to try to stop himself from laughing. 

 

However, seeing Ron and Harry looking at Blaise with dumbfounded expressions and Blaise looking back at them with a proud smirk on his face, Draco had to laugh again. Those two really were priceless when they were confused.

 

He understood what they were thinking, though, the first time he witnessed Blaise getting drinks because of his "charm" he was surprised and wide-eyed, just like the two boys in front of him. It had been back in 5th year when they were only fifteen, they had gone to Hogsmeade and Blaise had dragged him into the store where they sold the drinks. Draco stood awkwardly at the door while Blaise talked to the employee, knowing fully well that they shouldn’t be there. When they left the store they had a bottle hidden between new quills and parchment. They had run back to the castle, feeling giddy and had almost tripped on their way to the dungeons, hurrying to get inside the Slytherin common room so that they could go to their dorm and hide the bottle under the bed. Draco had gotten drunk for the first time that night with Blaise, Greg and Vince and they had spent hours giggling into their pillows so that no one would hear them, none of them remembering they could easily cast a silencing charm. The morning after hadn’t been as fun, though, but they had managed.

 

Thing is, Draco was used to Blaise buying drinks by now, it had happened a lot of times during the rest of 5th, 6th and even 7th year despite the war. It wasn’t news. Draco sometimes wondered if Blaise’s parents were acquainted with the shop owner and that was the reason he could get drinks, but when he asked Blaise he never gave a real answer.

 

"So," Blaise started while taking a gulp of his drink. "How does it feel to be single, Harry?"

 

Harry looked doubtfully at Ron, not knowing if he should talk about it in front of Ginny's brother, but seeing the small smile his best friend gave him he knew that it was okay to answer Blaise's question and talk about the subject.

 

"It doesn't feel that different, really," he shrugged.

 

"You know that that means that being with her was like being single, right?" Draco asked with a frown, he genuinely had thought that the Gryffindor would be extremely sad over the breakup.

 

"Malfoy is right," Ron said after a moment of silence. "You're my best friend and she is my sister and you know I supported your relationship but, honestly, you were always more like friends than something else."

"Are you actually agreeing with me, Weasley?" Draco put a hand on his chest dramatically. "I'm touched."

 

"Don't get used to it," Ron shook his head.

 

While they were bickering, Harry couldn't help but think that maybe they were right; that dating Ginny hadn't been more than sharing some kisses with a friend.

 

* * *

 

After two hours of being inside the empty classroom, drinking thanks to the Zabini charm, the four boys decided that it was better if they returned to their own common rooms, after all, the teachers would give them months of detention even expel them if they were caught outside their bedroom, drinking to make it worse.

 

"So what did you think of this night?" Blaise asked while they were walking down the stairs his elegant steps not showing just how much he had drunk.

 

"It was a good experience, surprisingly," Ron admitted.

 

He was walking next to Blaise, but his walking, much less balanced than Blaise’s, was a reflection of the drinks he had drunk.

 

"I agree, Ron, we will have to do it again. What do you two think?" Blaise looked behind his shoulder at Harry and Draco who were walking awkwardly side by side.

 

"Yeah, I think it's a great idea" Harry nodded while Draco just shrugged.

 

"Your enthusiasm is astounding, Draco," Blaise rolled his eyes with a laugh.

 

"I'm tired, so can you all stop with the talking and walk a little faster?" Draco narrowed his eyes.

 

"As the diva wishes." Blaise joked making Ron snort.

 

"Is there a problem, Weasley?"

 

"Not at all, Malfoy."

 

Draco rolled his eyes and turned his glare to Harry when he chuckled.

 

"What?" He snapped.

 

"Nothing," Harry had the nerve to grin. "It's good to see that you haven't changed."

 

"What do you mean, Potter?" He raised his eyebrow.

 

"I mean that it's comforting to see that some things haven't changed even after everything that happened," Harry smiled.

 

Draco just looked at him weirdly, knowing that Harry was right when he said that it was comforting to see that, after so many changes with the war, some things had stayed the same. Draco had never thought that Harry, out of all people, would understand what he felt, but, somehow, Harry understanding him just made sense to Draco.

 

Blaise and Ron suddenly stopped in the middle of the stairs, still having an apparently interesting conversation, judging by the wild gestures with their hands and arms and the loud voices and laughs. Harry had stopped walking, too, standing quietly next to Draco, sometimes commenting with the other two boys. Draco was glad to see that it wasn't too late, after casting a quick time charm, he really didn't fancy a month worth of detention, however, he knew that they would be there if the two idiots in front of him didn't keep their slightly drunk voices low and started walking again.

 

"Blaise," he called. "Can the two of you shut up?"

 

"No, Draco, we can not shut up. This conversation is really important."

 

"Then keep your voices low!"

 

"Scared of detention, Malfoy?" Ron smirked.

 

"Not exactly scared," he scoffed. "I just don't want to sit through detention with the three of you, while I could be doing something different and much more productive," Draco narrowed his eyes. "If you want to stay here, talk loudly and risk getting detention then who am I to stop you. I'm going to bed. Goodnight," and with a superior look he was on his way.

 

Draco always had the last word; he made sure of it.

 

"Malfoy, wait."

 

Draco stopped in the middle of the corridor and waited until Harry had caught up with him, not really knowing if he was doing the right thing or if he should be running away.

 

"I don't want detention, either," he justified. "And their conversation isn't interesting at all."

 

"Never thought I'd see the day when Harry Potter preferred my company instead of Weasley's," Draco joked.

 

He actually joked. With Potter. Maybe he had drunk a little too much?

 

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry said, but he was smiling and there was no bite in it.

 

It was weird to see Harry smile at something he said, Draco thought he might never get used to it. However, he admitted to himself, even though he liked the comfort of the things that remained the same, he also liked some of the changes.

 

When they got to the stairway that would lead Harry to the Gryffindor tower, they stopped in front of each other in an awkward silence. None of them knew what to say, they weren't used to being alone with each other and they just stood there looking at one another other, trying to find out how to leave without completely dismissing the other’s presence.

 

"I'm going to stay down in the common room for a bit, I might finish my transfiguration essay," Harry started. "Are you going to bed?"

 

Draco raised an eyebrow.

 

"As I said before, Harry, I'm tired, so, yes, I'm going to bed. Why? Wanna come with me?"

 

Sometimes, Draco didn't think before he talked; this was one of those times. He wouldn't have said something like that to Potter, of all people, if he had thought before opening his mouth, but, now that the words were out, Draco couldn't help but smirk when he saw the blush on the other boy's face. Teasing Harry was also good, like annoying and confusing him.

 

"Shut up, Malfoy," the still blushing boy said and licked his lips.

 

Draco's eyes were drawn to the movement and he shook his head as if to get rid of the thoughts he wasn't supposed to be having. Concluding that he had drunk too much since that was the only explanation for such thoughts, Draco decided that it was for the best if he went to bed.

 

"Well, Harry, as lovely as it is chatting with you," Draco said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I must go to bed now."

 

Harry just nodded.

 

"Goodnight, Draco."

 

"Goodnight, Harry."

 

* * *

 

Draco had been sitting with Pansy and Greg at the Slytherin table, having breakfast while Pansy was telling them some juicy gossip about three Hufflepuffs and their love triangle when Blaise and Ron entered the Great Hall.

They were talking quietly among themselves and walking slowly, Ron even rubbed his eyes and yawned on his way to the Gryffindor table. Blaise walked up to the Slytherins and sat in front of Draco, who failed to hide the smirk that appeared on his lips when he saw the grimace on his friend’s face and his tired eyes.

 

"Good morning," he greeted a little louder than he needed to.

 

Blaise just groaned looking annoyed and Pansy, who sat next to him, patted his back and raised an eyebrow.

 

"Did you have a good night?"

 

The question was directed at Blaise, Pansy was trying not to laugh while looking at her friend, amused to see him looking so grumpy, but wanting to know why he looked as tired as he did, although the boy didn't look like he wanted to say any more words.

 

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Draco answered when he saw that Blaise was more asleep than awake and wouldn't talk.

 

"Well, I had a good time with Ginny and Hermione," Pansy smiled.

 

She was happy that she had female friends again, she loved the three boys sitting with her more than anyone, but it was a little overwhelming not to have other girls to talk to like she did when they were younger.

 

"You spent the night with them?"

 

"Don't look so surprised, you are not the only ones with new friends."

 

"We are hardly friends with them," Draco scoffed.

 

"Shut up, Draco," Pansy rolled her eyes at him. "Even Greg has made friends among Gryffindors."

 

"Seriously? Who?" Draco turned to the boy next to him.

 

"Neville has been helping me with Herbology," he shrugged like it was nothing.

 

But it was something. Greg had never been one to talk to people just because, he preferred to keep to himself and talk only with a little group of close friends. That's why he was always with Pansy, Draco and Blaise, he really didn't need more people around him. He missed Vince, though, who had been his friend since he could remember, but he was learning to let go of him and try to find a new friend, someone that could be his friend as much as the Slytherins, someone who he could talk to. Vince would always be his friend, even after dying during the battle of Hogwarts, but Neville was a good person and, if he could get some help with Herbology out of the friendship, then that was even better.

"Look at us! Getting along with the other houses, who would have thought," Blaise said sleepily. "Now can the three of you shut up?"

 

"Such a good mood!" Pansy said sarcastically.

 

Blaise flipped her the finger and she shook her head, amused by her friend's actions. Blaise was always fun to mess with when he was tired and if he was hungover then it was even better.

 

"Do you want to go to the library after classes?" Draco asked after some time. "I have to study."

 

"I can't," Blaise mumbled.

 

"Why?"

 

"Detention," he looked at Draco's raised eyebrow. "Filch caught us."

 

"Told you so," Draco smirked and Blaise just groaned again.

 

"Don't be an arse, Draco," Pansy scolded even though she was trying not to laugh.

 

"What?" he grinned. "If he had gone to the common room when I did, he wouldn't have been caught."

 

"Okay, Malfoy, you were right," Blaise rolled his eyes and smiled sarcastically. "Now, can you shut your mouth?"

 

* * *

 

"I told Ginny we were coming to the library, so they will probably be there as well," Pansy grabbed her books when she saw Draco.

 

Pansy and Greg were sitting on the stairs, Blaise had just gone to detention and they had been waiting for Draco, who had gone to the bathroom. They were going to the library as they had planned, but Pansy thought it would be good to have some company and that is how she ended up telling Ginny.

 

"Never thought you would like to hang out with Gryffindors, Pansy," Draco chuckled when they started walking.

 

"They are okay," she shrugged. "And I think it's good to hang out with new people."

 

"Yeah, it was time for us to start talking with different people," Greg agreed.

 

"Tired of us, Greg?" Draco raised an eyebrow.

 

"Yes," he said simply and Pansy smacked the back of his head.

 

When they got to the library the others were already there like Pansy had said, and the Slytherins walked to the table where they were talking in whispers among themselves.

 

"Hello," Pansy greeted when she sat down next to Ginny.

 

Greg claimed the chair next to Neville and Draco sat between his two friends.

 

"What are you guys studying?" Harry asked.

 

"Neville is helping me with Herbology," Greg opened one of his books.

 

"I have a Transfiguration essay to write," Pansy sighed.

 

"I also have to finish mine," Hermione grinned at Pansy. "And I was going to help Ginny with hers, do you want to work with us?"

 

Pansy nodded and the three of them started scattering their books and parchments on the table.

 

"What about you, Malfoy?"

 

"Potions."

 

"Me too," Harry looked at him thoughtfully. "Neville, do you mind switching places with Draco so I can work with him?"

 

"Did it occur to you that maybe I don't want to work with you, Harry?" He raised an eyebrow.

 

"Don't be difficult, Draco," Pansy glared.

 

He just rolled his eyes and got up to change places with Neville. After some time of studying, Harry and Draco in silence and the others in whispers, Harry poked Draco on the arm, trying to get his attention, but Draco ignored him the best he could.

 

"Malfoy."

 

"Leave me alone, Potter, I'm trying to study," he glared.

 

"Just help me with this and I'll leave you alone," he promised.

 

Draco sighed.

 

"What do you want, Harry?" He marked the page and closed the book before looking at the boy.

 

"Can you explain this to me?" Harry pointed to one of the passages.

 

"Read ‘ _ Potions and other Brewings _ ’, you have it explained there," Draco opened his book again and looked down at it.

 

"You're going to make me find the book, find the explanation and all that, instead of just explaining it to me?" Harry scoffed.

 

"Exactly," Draco answered simply, not even taking his eyes from the book.

 

"Should have expected it," Harry shook his head and got up to fetch the book.

 

After Harry had left the table, Pansy coughed and Draco looked up at her, only to see her already looking at him with a glare that he understood too well.

 

"Okay, okay," he rolled his eyes. "I'll help him."

 

"Good," she said and then turned to Hermione.

 

With an annoyed sigh, Draco got up and headed to the shelves where the potions books were, to tell Harry that he would help him (and that the book he was trying to find was already at their table). When Draco saw Harry though, he stopped in his tracks, barely managing to stop his mouth from hanging open at the sight that greeted him. Harry was bending down, looking at the books on the lower shelves, and Draco felt his self-control being tested. He took a deep breath and gulped; he didn't really know why he was feeling hot inside just by seeing Potter like that, - well, he had an idea, but it was Potter and he didn't want to think about it, he really didn't want his suspicions to be true.

 

"Well, Harry, if you wanted to bend down for me you could have just said so," he said before he could stop himself.

 

Startled, Harry jumped when he heard Draco and, after the boy's words processed in his mind, his cheeks started colouring and he blinked, not really knowing what to say. He wasn't used to this kind of jokes and he sure as hell wasn't used to Draco and Slytherins being friendly and joking with him.

 

"Hum... What?... What are you doing here?" he stuttered.

 

"Always so eloquent," Draco shook his head, but anyone could see the amusement on his face.

 

"Do you need a book? Maybe I saw it while searching for the one you told me."

 

"No, I actually came to find you," Draco leaned against the shelves.

 

"Hmm, okay. What do you need?" Harry put the book he had on his hands back on the shelf when he saw it wasn't the one he was looking for.

 

"You can come back to the table; I have the book you need there."

 

Harry huffed. "You did it on purpose didn't you?"

 

"Of course not," Draco smiled cheekily.

 

"Of course," Harry laughed.

 

And, at that moment, they failed to realize that it was probably the first laugh they had had together. They were laughing together when they were alone, at a funny conversation that was only theirs and no one else's; they were laughing with each other and not at each other. And, if they had really thought about it, they would have seen that the possibility of it happening again, the possibility of more inside jokes between them, wasn't as weird and as stupid as it had been some time ago.

 


	3. fallingforyou

> _ Don't you see me I _ _   
>  _ _ I think I'm falling, I'm falling for you _ _   
>  _ _ And don't you need me I _ _   
>  _ _ I think I'm falling, I'm falling for you _ _   
>  _ _ On this night, and in this light _ _   
>  _ _ I think I'm falling (I think I'm falling), I'm falling for you _ _   
>  _ _ And maybe you, change your mind  _ _   
>  _ _ (I think I'm falling, I think I'm falling) _ _   
>  _ _... _ _   
>  _ _ According to your heart _ _   
>  _ _ My place is not deliberate _ _   
>  _ _ Feeling of your arms _ _   
>  _ _ I don't want to be your friend, I want to kiss your neck _ _   
>  _ _   
>  _ _ \- fallingforyou by The 1975 _   
>    
> 

* * *

  
  
The news going around Hogwarts was that some 8th year Slytherins were organizing a party with the Headmistress' permission to promote house unity. Draco laughed when he overheard three fourth year Hufflepuffs talking about it in one of the corridors between classes.   
  
Well, it wasn't a lie. They were going to throw a party in the Room of Requirement and all the 7th and 8th years were invited, so it kind of promoted house unity. Or at least that's what Pansy had told the Headmistress when she asked for permission to use the Room.   
  
It had all been Pansy's idea and, knowing her, Draco was a little scared of what the outcome would be. When she gathered the 8th year Slytherins in the common room, she promised a night of fun and games without any worries; the only thing she asked them to do was spread the word to the other houses 8th years as well as to the 7th years and find a way to get drinks (she had looked pointedly at Blaise on that last part). Of course, the word had spread throughout the whole school and not only through the older students.   
  
Draco shook his head and kept walking to his next class, trying not to worry too much about the party and what would come with it. The problem wasn't that Draco didn't like to party; no, Draco actually liked it, but when it involved the number of people this one did, as well as drinks and games and when it was planned by Pansy, Draco couldn't help but be a little weary about it.   
  
In the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, the 7th and 8th year students, who had most classes together since they were basically at the same level, considering what had gone down the year prior, were already sitting and waiting for the professor when Draco arrived. He looked around the room, looking for his friends, but stopped in his tracks when he saw them. Pansy was sitting next to Ginny, Greg and Blaise behind them and Harry and Hermione in front of them with Ron next to a Hufflepuff on a table near theirs talking to the two Ravenclaws behind them. Draco blinked at the sight of green, red, yellow and blue mixing together, the sight that was becoming more and more familiar and usual as time passed.   
  
He wasn’t used to being surrounded by yellows, blues, and even fewer reds, but it was a nice change. Draco found that he liked the sight of the four colours together, just as much as he was liking to get to know new people, even if he would never admit it out loud.   
  
"Have you traded me for Ginny, Pansy?" Draco pouted when he stopped near their table. "I'm hurt."   
  
"If you were here on time, maybe this wouldn't have happened," she shrugged.   
  
"The professor isn't here, is he?" Draco smirked. "Therefore, I am on time."   
  
"You're an idiot, Draco," Pansy laughed.   
  
"I must be spending too much time with you then, dear," he winked.   
  
After giving the people who were so different but that were sitting together one last look, Draco turned on his heels and walked up to the empty seat next to Neville, who gave him a slightly surprised look. Draco understood; it wasn’t every day that Draco Malfoy sat willingly next to a Gryffindor, much less one from the little pack his new acquaintances were part of.   
  
"Don't look so surprised, Longbottom."   
  
"Kind of hard not to be, Draco," he shrugged, but there was a careful smile on his face that showed that he, too, liked the prospect of new friendships.   
  
Draco was going to answer him, but the professor entered the classroom, apologizing for his lateness and started the lesson, not giving Draco the chance to say anything.   
  


* * *

  
  
"Draco Malfoy, were you sitting with Neville Longbottom in DADA?" Blaise fake gasped when they were sitting in the Slytherin common room.   
  
"Is there a problem?" Draco raised an eyebrow.   
  
"Not at all," Blaise chuckled.   
  
"It's weird," Greg said suddenly.   
  
"What?"   
  
"We've been talking to people outside of Slytherin more than we ever have; we're friends with people from other houses... those people are Harry Potter and his sidekicks, nonetheless."   
  
"Yeah," Blaise agreed. "You're right."   
  
"And look at Pansy now," Greg continued. "She is planning an inter-house party, asking the girls from the other houses if they have tips."   
  
"This year is so different. I'm still trying to understand if it's for the better or not." 

"I think it's still too early to answer that," Blaise shrugged. "It's been cool, the other 7th years aren't that bad; it's good to hang out with them, but we never know."   
  
Draco just nodded, agreeing silently with Greg and Blaise. While they were silent, Pansy walked up to them and sat on a chair in front of them.   
  
"What are you guys talking about?" she asked them.   
  
"Inter-house unity," Draco shrugged.   
  
She raised an eyebrow.   
  
"Okay," she trailed off. "But speaking of that..."   
  
"What now, Pansy?"   
  
"Do you have the drinks?" she asked Blaise.   
  
"The party is tomorrow night, I'll get them tomorrow."   
  
"You better, Zabini," she threatened.   
  
"I will don't worry," he winked. "I wouldn't pass the opportunity to drink, you know that."   
  
Pansy just laughed and shook her head, knowing better than anyone that Blaise wasn't lying.   
  
Pansy and Blaise had known each other since they were kids. Their parents had attended Hogwarts at the same time and, during their student years, had become really close. They ended up moving to the same neighbourhood after they got married and Pansy and Blaise had, therefore, grown up together. From the moment Draco had met them, he had known that they were a good team and that they could plot anything and make it work. Their friendship was really strong and had been there for so many years that Draco doubted anything would ever get in between his two friends.   
  
After the laughter died down, Pansy sighed and rested her head on her hands with a worried expression on her face.   
  
"Pansy?" Greg called.   
  
"Hum."   
  
"What's wrong?"   
  
"Do you think the party will be good?"   
  
"You planned it, Pansy," Draco smiled. "Of course it will be good."   
  
She just smiled back weakly.   
  
"You have been throwing parties in the Slytherin common room since you were 14 and they were always amazing," Draco comforted. "I'm sure this one will be just as good or even better."   
  
"I really want this to work, guys."   
  
Greg nodded and got up to sit next to her.   
  
"You want the houses to forget about the animosity between them and get together," he stated, grabbing her hand and squeezing it reassuringly. "You want us all to be friends more than ever before."   
  
"I have always wanted to hang out with people from the other houses," she explained. "I know sometimes I hung out with Ravenclaws, and there was even the odd Hufflepuff, but I always felt like I should keep to the Slytherin circle."   
  
"And even if we wanted to hang out with people from the other houses, they were always wary of us," Greg added.   
  
Neither of the Slytherins said anything after that, silently agreeing with what Pansy and Greg had said, having felt it before.   
  
All of them loved being Slytherins and they couldn’t be prouder of the colours they wore, however, that didn’t mean that there weren’t things that they didn’t like. Probably what they hated the most was the house prejudice. From the moment they had been sorted into the house they had to get used to the nasty looks and side glances other students threw their way. They were labelled as evil the moment the Sorting Hat had screamed “Slytherin” when it was on top of their heads. They grew up feeling like some of their classmates didn’t trust them, all because of the house reputation.

  
Maybe that was the reason why Slytherins are so close to each other and support each other, their housemates were the only ones who always understood them so they had to be there for each other.   
  
"Things are different this year," she smiled faintly to ease the tension. "This has to work."   
  
"It will work," Greg assured.   
  


* * *

"I'm trusting you on this," the Headmistress looked at them pointedly. "I hope you don't make me regret it."   
  
"We won't, Headmistress," Pansy assured, it was still early so the four Slytherins were the only ones there.   
  
She had trusted that they could keep themselves out of trouble and have fun without making too many bad decisions. However, she wasn’t a fool and she knew that the party wouldn’t be a simple get together to study, she knew that there were drinks somewhere, but, as long as she didn’t see them, she would keep a blind eye. The students deserved to relax and the four houses together in a party could be the first step towards the end of the animosity between the houses.   
  
Professor McGonagall looked at them again one last time, warning in her eyes, before she turned around and left them in front of the Room of Requirement.   
  
After the war there probably wasn’t anyone at Hogwarts who didn’t know about the Room of Requirement, it had become a quite famous room. They knew the story of what had happened inside on the day of the Battle of Hogwarts, but the fire had been extinguished and the staff had made sure that the room could still do what it did before. There were some changes, the room didn’t work as well as before, understandably, but it was safe to be inside of it and the Slytherins had decided that it was the best place to hold the party since people from all the houses could go in there.   
  
"Stand back, let me be the one asking for the room," Pansy said.   
  
The three boys smiled while looking at their friend, proud to see her so determined to achieve House Unity and give them all a good time with this party; it was unlike the Pansy from some years ago. That Pansy was more selfish, focusing mostly on herself and her goals, forgetting the people that weren't her friends or family, and, while that could be a good thing sometimes and get her higher in life, it didn't work exactly on her favour on other aspects. This Pansy was more mature, she still used her ambition for her own goals, but she also focused more on her friends, family, housemates and, now, the new people she was starting to become friends with, she was determined to see the four houses working together and she wouldn’t stop until she achieved it.   
  
"You can come now," she called them back when she finished asking the Room what she wanted.   
  
Pansy was standing there with a proud smile on her face. In front of her, there was a black door with silver and green designs. The boys smirked.   
  
"I had to show that this was planned by a Slytherin," she explained. "Someone has to stay here and wait for the others," she added.   
  
If they closed the door it would disappear and no one would be able to get inside, so they had to keep it open, but it would be better if someone stayed outside and waited for the other people who would come.   
  
"I'll do it," Greg shrugged. "I can be your guard."   
  
"If people are too late, you get in and close the door; next time, they'll know to get here on time," Blaise said.   
  
"So there will be more parties?" Draco smirked.   
  
"Of course, there will be," Blaise winked. “I’ll make sure of it.”   
  
"The three of us will plan the next one," Greg suggested since this party had mostly been Pansy’s plan.   
  
Draco and Blaise shared a look with him and the three smiled mischievously, already having ideas popping into their heads.   
  
"Next time it's all yours," Pansy chuckled. "I had enough headaches for some time."   
  
The three of them entered the Room, leaving Greg at the door to make sure people knew where the party was and that only 7th and 8th years would come in. 

Draco felt a shiver going down his spine, remembering the last time he had been in that Room, the fire roaring, Vincent falling to his death, and Draco and Greg barely escaping. They owed that to Potter and his sidekicks.   
  
"Draco, are you just going to stand there?" Blaise's voice woke him up from his thoughts.   
  
Draco shook his head in order to stop thinking about the bad memories and looked at the Room again. It really was different and he and Blaise looked impressed.   
  
"It looks good," Pansy smiled. "Could be better, but considering what happened here last year, I can't ask for more."   
  
Draco looked around the room, he never doubted that Pansy would plan an amazing party, but she had gone all out.   
  
He hadn’t even known that the Room could produce such an aspect but, apparently, it could and Pansy had managed it. The floor was made of what seemed like dark wood, the tables were silver and they seemed to glow with the colourful lights that danced around the room. Pansy had somehow managed to make the lights shine in a way that wasn’t overwhelming and didn’t hurt their eyes or make their head hurt. It wasn’t like the environment at the muggle place they had visited that Summer.    
  
“Did you use that muggle place as inspiration?” Blaise raised an eyebrow, thoughts going through the same line as Draco’s.   
  
“Yeah, I used it as inspiration for what I shouldn’t do,” she smirked, clearly pleased with the result.   
  
"I think you did an amazing work, Pansy," Draco smiled at his friend.   
  
Draco, Blaise and Pansy took a while to make the room ready to host a party. They conjured glasses and set them on the tables, as well as the drinks Blaise had gotten and the snacks Pansy had bought on the last Hogsmeade trip, already planning a party without anyone knowing. They got the music ready to play as soon as people started walking in and cast a silencing charm so that the noise couldn’t be heard from the outside.   
  
After some time of going around the room to make sure that everything was perfect, they were interrupted by a knock on the open door, Harry, Ginny and Hermione standing in the doorway.   
  
"Are we early?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Not by much," Pansy smiled. "We were just finishing the last details."   
  
"Need any help?" Harry volunteered.   
  
"No, don't worry," Blaise sat on the couch near the door. "It's finished, now we just have to wait for the others to get here."   
  
As soon as he talked, the noise of conversations was heard outside the Room followed by Neville and Ron entered the room with some Hufflepuffs, followed by a group of Gryffindors soon after.   
  


* * *

  
  
"Why don't we play a game?" Pansy suggested.   
  
"What game?" Blaise asked while sitting on the floor, showing that he would agree to any game she had in mind.   
  
Ginny sat next to him right after, some other people following their lead.   
  
“Truth or dare?” A 7th year Ravenclaw suggested.   
  
"Ok," Draco shrugged and sat down, as did almost everyone.   
  
Left standing were just Neville and Hermione and a few others who looked weary of the game.   
  
"Are there any rules?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Rules don't bother you that much, do they, Weasley? I mean, you sat down without knowing them," Pansy smirked.   
  
"I guess you could say that," Ginny laughed.   
  
"But, about the rules," Pansy continued. "You’ll get to choose between truth or dare, but if you refuse to answer your truth you have to do two dares. If you refuse to do the dares, you’re out of the game.”   
  
Some people whined at that, clearly not wanting to be forced to do any dares but also not wanting to lose the game.   
  
After getting some encouraging glances from friends at the circle on the floor, almost everyone sat down, only three people deciding that they didn’t want to play.   
  
"Why don't we make things more interesting?" Blaise smirked once everyone was settled and Pansy had waved her wand to start the music.   
  
Greg, sitting next to him, chuckled while Pansy and Draco shook their heads, already knowing what their friend was going to suggest.   
  
"Every time someone refuses to answer a truth, they have to do the two dares and also drink.”   
  
There were some murmurs around the circle, some agreeing and some disagreeing with Blaise’s suggestion, but he kept the smirk on his face.   
  
"I don't drink," one of the 7th year Gryffindors said quickly.   
  
"Then you will just have to answer," one of the Ravenclaw girls smiled.   
  
"Do you all agree to play then?" Pansy asked.   
  
Everyone agreed, some more confident than others, and, with a flick of Blaise’s wand, the glasses came flying from the table, stopping in front of each one of the players, the bottles with firewhiskey being caught by the four Slytherins in charge of the party.   
  
“Let the party start!” Pansy winked, pouring some Firewhiskey on her glass, passing the bottle to the Hufflepuff sitting next to her.   
  
Blaise put his wand in the middle and spun it once to get the game started, the two people who the wand pointed to were a Ravenclaw and a Gryffindor boys, the Ravenclaw being the one who had to answer.   
  
“Truth or dare?”   
  
“Truth.”   
  
“What was the first impression you had of Blaise.”   
  
He looked at Blaise and blinked, thinking about what he should say.   
  
“I thought you were an asshole who was full of himself and liked to brag about every aspect of his life.”   
  
“Can’t say you’re wrong,” Blaise shrugged.   
  
He wasn’t surprised by what the Ravenclaw had said. The image he passed to people was exactly the one the boy had described and he liked it. He liked that there was an image that everyone knew, but an image that was different from his true self. He liked that only the people who were close to him knew how he really was.   
  
The Ravenclaw spun the wand, to see who he would have to ask and it stopped on Pansy.   
  
“Dare,” she said without even letting him ask.   
  
“Pretend to be a dog and sniff the next two people who have to answer.”   
  
Some snorts and laughs could be heard around the room, everyone obviously finding the dare amusing.   
  
“I’ll do it, now give me the wand.”   
  
The wand stopped on Blaise and a smirk stretched on Pansy’s face. She got up to sniff him and the room burst into laughter, Blaise patting her head and saying “Good girl” making the situation even funnier.   
  
“I want a dare, doggie,” he laughed when Pansy held her middle finger up.   
  
“Take someone else’s socks off with your teeth.”   
  
“Pansy,” he whined.   
  
“Do it!”   
  
He glared at her but moved until he was in front of Draco and told him to take his shoes off. Draco did, trying not to laugh at Blaise’s disgusted expression while he lowered his face towards his foot. His expression didn’t change while he did the dare and when he finished taking Draco’s socks off he threw them at Pansy’s face, but she just kept laughing at him, making everyone in the circle laugh even more.   
  
“Neville, truth or dare?” Blaise asked, lips in a pout, while Pansy sniffed Neville, muffled laughter sounding around the room again.   
  
“Truth.”   
  
“Tell us something you have never told anyone.”   
  
“Do I have to?”   
  
“You can always do two dares.”   
  
“Ok, well,” he stuttered, a thoughtful expression on his face. “So, there was this time when my mom had left her earrings in the bathroom and I picked them up to play with them. Thing is, while I played with them one of them slipped out of my hand and fell in the sink. I think you can guess what happened next. I was five years old at the time. My mom asked me and my father if we had seen her lost earring, but I acted as if I didn’t know anything. To this day she still thinks that she lost it.”   
  
“Who knew that you had a little rebel inside of you,” Greg laughed, amused by the story.   
  
Neville rolled his eyes, but there was a soft smile on his face. He spun the wand.   
  
“Karl.”   
  
It went on for a few more turns, a Hufflepuff had to put his pants on backwards and leave them like that until the end of the game, a Gryffindor had to jump around the room for a minute, Ron had to tell them what his pyjamas were like, Hermione had to confess what turned her on and Ginny had to trade shirts with a Slytherin boy.   
  
“Harry,” Ginny called.   
  
“I want a dare.”   
  
Ginny looked around the circle with a thoughtful expression on her face. Her eyes roaming around the faces of the people around her until they stopped on Draco and a mischievous smirk made its way to her face. She looked like Pansy did whenever she plotted something particularly humiliating or extremely devilish.   
  
“I dare you to hold hands with Draco for the rest of the game.”   
  
Draco heard Pansy snort next to him and glared at her, making her shrug innocently. He looked at Harry then, wanting to see the boy’s reaction, expecting him to be angry and glaring at his ex-girlfriend. However, it hadn’t crossed his mind that he could find Harry like he was now, flustered and looking at the floor, not meeting anyone’s eye.   
  
“Are you going to do it?” Greg asked.   
  
Harry seemed to hesitate.   
  
“Where is that Gryffindor courage and competitiveness?” Hermione laughed at her best friend.   
  
Everyone except Draco and Harry seemed to be finding the situation amusing. Harry grumbled something under his breath, some colourful words heard by the others, and he got up from his place in the circle. Students looked at him curiously, wondering if he would leave the game or even the party or if he was going to do his dare.   
  
Of course, Harry Potter, ever the Gryffindor, chose the last option and he walked around the circle until he was behind Draco. Sarcastic comments started appearing in Draco’s mind, each better than the last one, all to make fun of Harry.   
  
“Move,” he said to Pansy.   
  
She got up and sat on the place Harry had left vacant so that he could sit next to Draco. Draco was almost certain that he had seen her high five Ginny, but he would try not to think about it. To be honest, he wouldn’t be able to think about it even if he wanted to, at least not now that Harry had moved his right hand and had taken a hold of his left one. 

  
There was a scowl on his face and his eyes never looked in Draco’s direction, but his hand was warm against his and his knee was touching Draco’s softly and all the incredible comebacks that had been in Draco’s mind before evaporated.   
  
With his left hand, Harry spun the wand and he narrowed his eyes when it stopped on Draco.   
  
“Malfoy.”   
  
“I want a dare,” he smirked.   
  
“Dance to the next song that comes on, whatever it is.”   
  
“Admit it, you just want to see me dancing.”   
  
“You wish.”   
  
The group waited to hear what song Draco would have to dance. Would it be a slow song? Maybe a sexy one? One that no one knows how to dance to?   
  
Draco got up, letting go of Harry's hand, and stood in the middle of the circle, Blaise grabbing his wand so that it wouldn't be damaged. When the song started, Draco couldn't help the loud laugh that left him, almost getting out of breath when he heard Harry groan. This song hadn't been in his plans for sure.   
  
_ I'm just a bachelor _ _   
_ _ I'm looking for a partner _ _   
_ _ Someone who knows how to ride _ _   
_ _ Without even falling off _   
  
Draco started by sawing his hips to the rhythm and moving his feet a little. He moved a hand to his hair and gave a seductive look to the Ravenclaw girl that was in front of him, making her blush madly. His hand dropped to his chest then, moving down slowly, resting briefly on his stomach before he moved it south again, obscenely gripping his clothed dick through this pants. He let go and swayed some more to the song before dropping slowly to the floor a giving a seductive look again. He got up and moved his hands up his sides, before moving them down and raising his shirt a little, giving the circle a look of his v-line. He turned so that he was looking at the place where Harry was, winking and smirking in his direction, gripping his dick one last time, extremely satisfied with the way Harry widened his eyes and groaned.   
  
_ If you're horny, let's do it _ _   
_ _ Ride it, my pony _ _   
_ _ My saddle's waiting _ _   
_ _ Come and jump on it _   
  
After the song finished, Draco sat down on his place again, laughing at the number of catcalls that could be heard, and grabbed Harry's hand again, surprised to feel that it was sweaty unlike before. He asked for Blaise’s wand and spun it.   
  
“Ok, Greg, I dare you to tell Neville a pickup line.”   
  
“I didn't even say if I wanted a dare.”   
  
“I know you do,” Draco shrugged.   
  
Greg chuckled and turned to Neville, a flirtatious smile on his face. Neville visibly gulped and blushed even before Greg started talking.   
  
“Interested in making some magic together? My wand is at the ready.”   
  
The people laughed again, both at the pickup line and at the blush that got even redder on Neville’s face.   
  
The game ended with that dare, everyone grew tired of the game even though they had had fun. The game really had brought them together. Students from the four different houses sat together in the circle, sharing stories and laughs, creating fun memories. All of them had smiles on their faces when the game ended and, since the night still wasn't over, there was a promise of more good times.   
  


* * *

  
  
“It's nice, isn't it?” Harry asked, coming to a stop next to Draco on the dance floor.   
  
His friends had left him alone in order to go mingle with other people. Greg was talking to Neville near the snacks table, Pansy was dancing near some Hufflepuffs and Blaise was dancing with a Ravenclaw girl. It seemed like Harry's friends had also left him, Hermione's back was turned to Draco, but he didn't need to be a genius to know what was happening there when he noticed Ron’s feet and understood the boy was in front of Hermione, against the wall.   
  
“What is nice?”   
  
“This. The party. All the houses together, having fun with each other.”   
  
Draco looked around. Harry was right, all the houses were mixed together. You couldn't say which ones were Ravenclaws or which ones were Hufflepuffs, you couldn't see a single group that didn't have people from two different houses, at least. It was an amazing sight, there was yellow and green and red and blue, all coming together and making something powerful.   
  
“You're right. It's good to see everyone getting along.”   
  
“I'm glad Pansy organized this party,” Harry smiled. “Playing truth or dare with all of you was really cool. Getting to know people better and just having a good time.”   
  
“Are you sure you're not only saying that because you loved watching my lovely performance and holding my hand, Potter?” Draco winked.   
  
He really liked to tease Harry. The boy got all flustered and started stuttering an answer, not really knowing what to say, he would move his weight from one foot to the other, while looking everywhere but at Draco. It was entertaining to watch.   
  
“Of course not, Malfoy,” he scoffed.   
  
“If you say so,” Draco shrugged.   
  
Harry looked like he wanted to punch him in the face, maybe to wipe the smirk that had plastered itself there. But Draco couldn't care less, he was having too much fun. He was having fun with Harry Potter, of all people, and he planned to enjoy the unusual occurrence.   
  
“Guys,” their conversation was interrupted by Pansy's loud voice, using an amplifying charm to be heard all around the room. “Grab the person closest to you and let's dance.”   
  
Draco saw her looking right at him and wink, her right hand motioning subtly at Harry. She looked like she had been plotting and had him right where she wanted him to be. For some reason, Pansy seemed to like the idea of Draco and Harry together, she looked like she was enjoying putting them together and when Draco saw her high five Ginny, he knew she wasn’t the only one with weird plans.   
  
The song that had been playing changed then, turning from a catchy song to jump around while pretending to dance, to a slow song that had a romantic vibe to it and proposed a dance between partners.   
  
Draco looked at the person closest to him, Harry, who was looking everywhere but at him, looking even more embarrassed than moments ago, and all he saw was an adorable sight in front of him, so he didn’t hesitate. If asked, Draco would say that he did it only with the purpose of embarrassing Harry even further, but the truth was another one.   
  
Draco took a step in Harry’s direction, making him finally raise his head enough to meet his eyes. There was tension between them, something heavy and palpable. Something that they couldn’t name, but couldn’t ignore either.   
  
_ I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy. _ _   
_ _ I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need. _ _   
_   
Their eyes met. An invisible string binding them together. Draco didn’t really know what was happening, he didn’t know why he was feeling like that around Harry. What was that idiotic Gryffindor doing to him?   
  
Draco wanted to ignore it, he wanted to turn around and go do something else, he wanted to forget what was happening, but he just couldn’t. So he didn’t.   
  
_ Oh, can you see it, baby? _ _   
_ _ You don't have to close your eyes _ _   
_ _ 'Cause it's standing right before you. _ _   
_ _ All that you need will surely come _   
  
Draco took one more step, stopping right in front of Harry, a few breaths away. His heart was beating fast, but Draco wouldn’t dwell too much on it, he wouldn’t chicken out of something he actually wanted to do, for some inexplicable reason.   
  
He took a deep breathe and raised his arms, hands resting on Harry’s waist, feeling the boy in front of him take in a shaky breath, face red and eyes wide. He looked beautiful in the colourful shining lines, Draco realized.   
  
Slowly, Harry’s arms raised to go around Draco’s shoulders, hands resting softly on his neck. They kept unmoving for a few seconds, not really knowing how to act.   
  
Surprisingly, it was Harry who took the next step, probably his Gryffindor courage showing itself. He stepped even closer to Draco, chests almost touching and eyes not leaving each other.   
  
They started swaying to the song then. Hips moving to the slow rhythm, hands carefully touching skin and clothing. Draco gasped when Harry lowered his head, his forehead resting on Draco’s chest, no doubt feeling his heart beating too fast beneath the skin.   
  
It was a nice, slow dance. Dancing with Harry was amazing, better than Draco could have ever imagined and a little part of him was wondering if they would ever get to dance like this again or it would be just a one-time thing. Draco didn’t want it to be just a one-time thing.   
  
_ I want to stand with you on a mountain _ _   
_ _ I want to bathe with you in the sea. _ _   
_ _ I want to live like this forever. _ _   
_ _ Until the sky falls down on me _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the biggest chapter I have ever written in my life, hope it turned out any good.
> 
> The songs features are "Pony" by Genuwine and "Truly Madly Deeply" by Savage Garden
> 
> One of my friends told me that my Slytherin was showing through this chapter, was it?
> 
> I shamelessly used a Truth or Dare app cause I couldn't come up with anything for the game.
> 
> Anyway, thanks everyone for all the love, I appreciate every single one of you a lot!


	4. Never Be The Same

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, I made Draco comment the Quidditch game and Blaise be the seeker

_ Something must've gone wrong in my brain _ _   
_ _ Got your chemicals all in my veins _ _   
_ _.... _ _   
_ _ It's you, babe _ _   
_ _ And I'm a sucker for the way that you move, babe _ _   
_ _ And I could try to run, but it would be useless _ _   
_ _ You're to blame _ _   
_ _ Just one hit of you, I knew I'll never be the same _ _   
_ _   
_ _ \- Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello _   
  


* * *

  
  
It was the day after the party and Pansy, Blaise, Draco and Greg were sitting in the Slytherin common room, Pansy with her legs crisscrossed on the floor and the three boys in front of her on the couch. Both Pansy and Blaise had packages full of candy on their hands that their parents had sent them and they were sharing with the other two boys. It was a habit they had since first year, every time they received candy from home they would share with each other, and they still did it to these days.   
  
They had decided that staying inside the common room was the best decision for the day for a diversity of reasons.   
  
Firstly, they were tired after the party. It had ended late and they had gone to bed in the early morning, sleeping in until it was almost time for lunch, so they really didn’t want to do anything that would take too much energy. They just wanted to relax and not worry about anything, except maybe for homework later.   
  
They also wanted to let the students from the other houses talk about the party without having the people who organized it anywhere near them. They wanted the other students to gossip about the party, maybe tell the younger people and the ones who had skipped the party how good it had been. They wanted them to show the school that Slytherins could be good and plot good things. The party had also been for that reason. It had had the purpose of having fun and unifying the houses, but it was also to show a different side of the Slytherin house, the side that could have fun and that would be nice to people, the side that so many Slytherins had but never showed because they were never given a chance to.

  
The weather had been the last push they needed to be completely against leaving the common room. It was nearing the end of October and both the grey clouds that covered the sky and the wind that rippled through the trees invited the Hogwarts students to stay inside the castle. It was cold outside, so staying in the common room near the fireplace was the best place to be.   
  
“I’m really glad the party went well,” Pansy said while looking through the candy until she found her favourite.   
  
Even though they had tried to stay positive and not let doubt get them down and even though they never showed how afraid of the outcome they were, they had still worried that the party would have been a complete distaste. From people leaving in the middle of the party, to insults being thrown around and fights breaking out, almost every horrible scenario had gone through their heads at least once. To see that the party had been a success was a relief for them, it had been all they wanted and having it was an amazing feeling.   
  
“It was a really good party,” Greg agreed. “I had a lot of fun.”   
  
“With Neville, wasn’t it?” Pansy smirked.   
  
“He’s cute,” Greg shrugged with a grin.   
  
“Who would have thought that what the three of you needed to finally go down the romance lane was a party with people from the other houses,” Blaise smirked.   
  
“What romance lane?” Draco asked.   
  
“Why aren’t you including yourself in that sentence?” Pansy raised her eyes from the bag of candy to meet Blaise’s mischievous gaze.

 

Blaise grinned, the questions obviously amusing him to no end.   
  
“To answer your question, Pansy,” he decided to answer hers first since Draco’s reaction would certainly be funnier. “I didn’t include myself because I didn’t need help from a party to go down the romance lane. I don’t need any help with that, I just have to go outside.”   
  
“You’re awfully conceited, you idiot,” Pansy slapped his knee.   
  
“Eighteen years of friendship and this is how you treat me?” Blaise put a hand on his chest over his heart. “You wound me.”   
  
“Stop being a big baby,” she slapped his knee again.   
  
He stuck his tongue out childishly and she rolled her eyes. It was always amusing to watch Pansy and Blaise bickering, they were like the annoying cousins who were always throwing insults back and forth but that no one told to stop because it was funny to watch them getting worked up.   
  
“Now, Draco,” Blaise turned to look at him. “Don’t act all innocent, you know exactly what I’m talking about.”   
  
“Do I?” Draco raised an eyebrow.   
  
“Does the name Harry Potter ring any bells?”   
  
“It rings some, yes.”   
  
Blaise looked at him unimpressed and Draco tried not to laugh.   
  
“But, seriously now,” Pansy interrupted. “What was all that with Potter?”   
  
“It was mostly yours and Ginny’s doing,” he said.   
  
“And you should be thanking us,” Pansy shrugged. “You enjoyed every minute you spent near him.”   
  
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffed.   
  
“Are you seriously going to try and deny it?” Greg asked in disbelief.   
  
They all knew that Draco had liked to spend time with Harry, they were always bickering but they managed to go a night without getting at each other’s throats. On the contrary, actually, they had managed to talk calmly and not get on each other’s nerves. And they had danced together. The three of them had seen the dance and the look on their friend’s face.   
  
Pansy rolled her eyes.   
  
“You enjoyed it, especially the dance. Don’t think I didn’t notice.”   
  
“Notice what?”   
  
“Your blush and heart eyes.”   
  
Draco gaped at her. He didn’t remember having blushed. And heart eyes? He surely hadn’t got those. He couldn’t have.   
  
Blaise laughed at Draco’s face, almost choking on the candy he was eating.   
  
“Don’t feel embarrassed, Draco! You like him, we understand.”   
  
“I don’t like him,” Draco scowled.   
  
“Of course not,” Pansy grinned.   
  
Draco was going to answer but was interrupted by Anthony, a 5th year Slytherin, who stopped next to the couch and smiled at them.   
  
“Am I interrupting?”   
  
“We're just making fun of Draco don't worry, we'll come back to it later.”   
  
Draco scoffed. He was sure his friends wouldn't let the subject go, they would keep on teasing him for one week, at least. Probably more.   
  
“I just wanted to tell Draco that the Headmistress wants to meet up with him tomorrow.”   
  
“What time?”   
  
“After lunch in her office.”   
  
“Do you know why?”   
  
“I think it’s because of the Quidditch game.”   
  
“The Quidditch game? But I don’t even play.”   
  
“I don’t know more, sorry.”   
  
“No worries, I’ll see what she wants tomorrow. Thanks, Anthony.”   
  
“No problem,” the boy smiled and went back to his friends.   
  
“Didn’t even remember that the first Quidditch game is next week,” Pansy said.   
  
“Why do you think she wanted to talk to me?” Draco asked, all the possibilities running through his mind.   
  
“She probably wants you to comment the games again.”   
  
“She hated it when I commented last year.”   
  
Patricia Lewis was a 7th year Slytherin the prior year and she was usually the one who commented the Quidditch games during their 5th year. However, in the middle of the school year she had gotten sick and couldn’t comment on the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff game and they had needed someone to step in and comment. Blaise had jokingly said that Draco would do it, but the professors hadn’t taken it as a joke and so he had ended up as the commentator for that game. Needless to say that the majority of the professors hadn’t found it funny when Draco had criticized everything the Quidditch players did, even without knowing anything about the game.   
  
“Maybe they’re desperate,” Blaise shrugged. “I mean, that’s the only reason why they would invite you to comment again.”   
  
“Fuck off,” Draco slapped the back of his head.   
  
“Maybe your charm convinced them,” Pansy said, “We’ll only know tomorrow.”   
  
“At least you’re flattering, unlike some asshole,” he glared at Blaise who just chucked.   
  


* * *

  
  
“Come in, Mr. Malfoy.”   
  
Draco stepped inside the Headmistress’ office and sat on the chair in front of her desk. She looked like she had been waiting for him, a disapproving frown on her face, the previous headmasters that were on their portraits behind her looking him down, all except Dumbledore who seemed amused, he noticed that Professor Snape wasn’t in his portrait, it seemed like almost no Hogwarts Headmaster approved of lateness.   
  
“I’m sorry, Headmistress, there was a little problem on the Slytherin table with Blaise and I stayed with him for a bit.”   
  
“I am well aware of what happened with Mr. Zabini at lunch,” the disapproving frown was even more prominent on her face.   
  
Almost as soon as Blaise had started eating, his fork had jumped out of his hand and started flying around his head, Blaise had almost grabbed it when it fell to the table with a loud noise. He glared around the Slytherin table and at anyone who was looking at him, a grimace on his face. They had thought that had been it, that nothing more would happen the rest of lunch, but they had been wrong. When Blaise had gone to grab his goblet to take a sip from it, the thing had started flying right in front of his face, carefully since it didn’t spill but fast enough that Blaise hadn’t been able to catch it before it was too late. It had flown until it stopped just above Blaise’s head and the water inside it had spilt on top of his head before anyone had had time to react. Blaise had been shocked, but his expression changed to one of anger right after; Draco had tried to stop himself from laughing, but he hadn’t been able to contain himself and neither had the other Slytherins. Pansy had had the decency to throw a drying charm in Blaise’s direction, but she, too, had chuckled at their friend.   
  
“Needn’t I remind you that if I find out who pulled that prank on Mr. Zabini, that person will be punished accordingly,” she peered at him from the top of her glasses like she was aware that he knew who had pranked Blaise. “Do you have any idea who could have done it, Mr. Malfoy?”   
  
He knew who had done it, but he wouldn’t tell her. He had seen Ron grinning smugly from the Gryffindor table, Neville chuckling softly into his hand, Hermione, Harry and Ginny not even bothering to hide their laughter. He knew it had been Ron and Blaise knew it, too, but none of them would tell the Headmistress, they were Slytherins and they could deal with a little prank all on their own. Blaise had been mad when it had happened, but by the time Draco had left him with Pansy and Greg, he was already laughing and planning what he could do to make Ron pay for the prank he had pulled.   
  
“I don’t know who it was,” Draco shook his head.   
  
“Well, then,” Draco thought he saw a little smile on the Headmistress' face, but it was gone so fast he couldn’t even be sure. “I asked you to come here because I need to ask you something.”   
  
“What is it?” Draco sat straighter in his chair.   
  
“Would you want to comment next week’s Quidditch game?”   
  
“Headmistress, with all due respect, I don’t know anything about Quidditch, you saw it when I commented last year.”   
  
“I did, indeed, Mr. Malfoy, and it wasn’t my idea to have you comment the game,” the look on her face told Draco that having him commenting a game of Quidditch again was the last thing she wanted him to do.   
  
“Then why do you want me to do it?”   
  
“Some of the Quidditch players from both Hufflepuff and Gryffindor teams have come to me to ask me for a favour, they said that your criticism prompts them to play better and they requested that I ask you to do it again this year.”   
  
“But, it doesn’t make any sense.”   
  
“Doesn’t it, Mr. Malfoy? If you had someone who doesn’t understand potions come to you and criticize everything you did, what would you do?”   
  
“I would ignore them, but do everything I could to be even better than I am and make them eat their words,” he answered truthfully, already seeing where she was going with the conversation.   
  
“Then, I think you understand perfectly well why they want you to comment on the games.”   
  
“Yes, I do understand, Headmistress. I’ll comment the game.”   
  
Professor McGonagall nodded, a little smile replacing the frown that had been on her face. They discussed the little details about the game and what Draco would have to do before he could leave her office.   
  
“Mr. Malfoy,” she called one last time once he was at the door. “Do refrain from making inappropriate comments.”   
  
“I’ll try, Headmistress,” he joked when he saw the amusement in her eyes, no doubt remembering how he had made a certain comment about one of Hufflepuff’s ex-beaters.   
  


* * *

  
  
Draco had had some more appointments with the Headmistress during the week, she had wanted to make sure that he didn’t say anything inappropriate, not that the appointments would stop him if he had something to say. He also had had to watch the Slytherin team training so that he could learn something about Quidditch and be able to make more accurate comments during the game.   
  
Now, it was Sunday and Draco was sitting at the Slytherin table, listening to Blaise and Greg going over their strategy for the game while he pretended to understand what they were saying.   
  
The conversation between the Slytherins was interrupted when two Gryffindors approached the table, Phoenix, a 6th year that played on the Quidditch team, and Taylor, his friend.   
  
“Zabini, Goyle, good luck for the game, you'll need it,” Phoenix said.   
  
“You think we are the ones who need luck? Think again,” Greg smirked.   
  
“We'll see about that,” Taylor shrugged.   
  
“Yes, we will,” Blaise raised an eyebrow at them challenging.   
  
The Gryffindors glared at them, clearly not liking to see that the Slytherins were confident in their victory; it surprised Draco how they seemed to think that Greg and Blaise’s attitude was something completely abnormal, since it was the way the two of them had always acted, confident and challenging, never backing down.   
  
“What’s happening here?” Harry’s voice sounded behind Draco who turned around to see him and Ginny looking at their teammates.   
  
“We were just wishing them good luck for the game,” Phoenix explained.   
  
“For some reason, I can’t really believe that that was all you were doing,” Harry said. 

 

“I think you should go eat something. I want you ready for the game on time,” Ginny snapped.   
  
“Of course, captain,” Taylor nodded, dragging Phoenix, who was still glaring, to the Gryffindor table.   
  
Draco knew that Ginny was the captain of the Gryffindor team that year. At first, he had doubted that the girl had it in her to be a good captain, but just this little display showed him that he had underestimated Ginny a whole lot, maybe because he didn’t know her at all. The Gryffindor could be in control, she could make people listen to her and she could be a good captain, Draco saw that now.   
  
“Sit down, guys, or are you just gonna stand there?” Pansy raised an eyebrow.   
  
Harry looked over at the Gryffindor table before nodding at Pansy and sitting down on the vacant place next to Draco while Ginny sat next to the other girl. Over at his house’s table, their friends were looking at them. Some of them looking like they had eaten a particularly bad lemon, some of them with little appreciative smiles like they liked the house unity representation and some didn’t even acknowledge it at all, acting as if it was completely normal for Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, two Gryffindors, to seat at the Slytherin table.   
  
“You can go to your table if you want to. I only suggested that you seat here so that you wouldn’t just stand there,” Pansy said when she noticed that they were looking at the other table.   
  
“No, I don’t mind sitting here.”   
  
“Have you eaten already?” Greg asked.   
  
“Yeah, I had just finished when I noticed that Taylor and Phoenix were here,” Harry paused. “I’m sorry, by the way, they can be a little competitive.”   
  
“Don’t worry, they didn’t hurt our feelings.”   
  
“And it’s not like we aren’t used to this kind of treatment, they might be competitive, but that wasn’t all that was about,” Blaise shrugged. “We know that they don’t like us because we are Slytherins, winning against us tastes a little bit sweeter than winning against the other houses.”

  
Harry was going to open his mouth to answer, maybe try to deny what all of them knew to be true, but Draco wasn’t about to let him to it, it would just be a waste of time because, at the end of the day, Harry knew as much as them that being a Slytherin came with the price of prejudice from most people of the other houses.   
  
“Don’t bother, Harry, you know he’s right. You once thought like Taylor and Phoenix, too.”   
  
“Yeah, but I don’t think like that anymore,” he turned to look at Draco before looking at the others too. “You are much more than everyone thinks, you are amazing people and I’m really glad we decided to put everything behind our backs and get to know each other better. I like spending time with you, I won’t stop because some prejudiced idiots from my house can’t see past the colour you wear.”   
  
The Slytherins stayed quiet for a little bit, it was weird to hear someone say such things about them, someone who was looking at them honestly like he meant every word he had said, someone who didn’t look wary of them at all. It was impossible to think that Harry was lying, his emotions were always clear on his face and this time wasn’t an exception.   
  
“Thanks, Harry,” Pansy smiled at him. “It’s really good to hear someone say that.”   
  
“You don’t need to thank me for saying the truth.”   
  
Blaise and Greg went back to their conversation after that, Pansy smiled at them before getting up and leaving to go finish her homework before the game and taking Ginny with her. Draco decided that he should talk to Harry and explain to him why what he had said meant so much to them.   
  
“Harry, do you wanna take a walk?”   
  
Harry looked at him in wonder, probably trying to understand why exactly Draco Malfoy would want to spend time with him, but he just shrugged, before getting up and waiting for Draco to do the same, and they left the Great Hall together.   
  
“Is there something you want to talk to me about?” Harry asked while they were walking down the corridor towards the big door that would lead them to the outside.   
  
“Can’t I just want to spend some time with you?” Draco teased; although he did want to talk to him, he also wouldn’t pass the opportunity to see Harry trying to come up with an answer.   
  
“Well, I mean, of course, you can. But, you know it’s not usual for you to want to spend time with me. So, I just thought that there might be a reason,” he stuttered, not disappointing Draco.   
  
Draco chuckled.   
  
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head, Little Lion, I was just teasing you.”   
  
“Oh,” Harry blushed, maybe because he didn’t understand that Draco was teasing him or maybe because of the nickname.   
  
A nickname that had slipped past Draco’s lips without his consent, without him even thinking about it. It was inside his head one moment and the next one it was out of his mind, not even giving him time to process it.   
  
“Actually,” Draco started once they were outside the castle, changing the subject and trying not to think about what he had called Harry just moments ago. “There was something I wanted to talk to you about.”   
  
“Knew it,” Harry laughed. “What is it.”   
  
“Firstly, I wanted to thank you for what you said back there, it meant a lot.”   
  
“I already said that you don’t have to thank me, I just spoke the truth.”   
  
Draco shook his head and stopped walking.   
  
“I also want to explain why it meant so much to us,” he said when Harry stopped next to him.   
Harry gave him an encouraging nod and the both of them sat on the grass, looking at the castle, Draco trying to find where to start what he wanted to say and Harry waiting for him to be ready to talk.   
  
“It all started on the first day at Hogwarts,” Draco started. “Do you remember what you felt like when the hat said you were a Gryffindor?”   
  
“I remember feeling really proud and happy, there were people clapping and smiling at me, I felt like I belonged.”   
  
“That is how every first year should feel when they are placed in their houses, but I didn’t feel like that and I doubt any other Slytherin does.   
  
When I was placed in Slytherin I felt proud, don’t get me wrong, I knew I was in the house that would help me be better and great and where I belonged. Where I was supposed to be. But then came the looks. You don’t know what it feels like because no one ever looked at you in that way, but from the moment I was placed in Slytherin, students from the other houses started looking at me warily, they always looked away and never talked much to us, it was bad. I hated the first weeks here because of that.   
  
The older Slytherins knew what it was like because they had gone through the same, so they were our biggest support and help. They taught us how to ignore the looks, how to make people believe that we don’t care, how to put on a façade. They were always there for us and that is probably why the house is so united in its own way, we help our own because we are the only ones that are always there.   
  
What you said meant a lot, Harry. No one has ever looked at us with such openness and honesty and told us that they enjoyed our company, no one from the other houses had ever bothered to get to know us better. But you and your friends? You’re doing it willingly and that means everything to us. Especially after everything that happened and with us in particular. Our past isn’t the brightest at all.   
  
What I’m trying to say is, we might not say it to your faces, that’s just not who we are, but we really appreciate you and everything you’re doing for us and for house unity.   
  
I just thought you should know it.”   
  
Harry was looking at him like he had never seen him before by the time Draco had finished. It was overwhelming for Draco to talk about what he felt so openly, to show so many emotions and to let someone see what was going on inside him, but Harry made it hard not to open up. He had been so kind and honest, Draco had felt like he needed to do the same, he felt like he needed to let Harry know everything.   
  
“I had never thought about things from the Slytherin perspective,” Harry interrupted the silence. “And you were right, I did think like that for all these years, but I am glad that I’m getting the chance to change my opinion.”   
  
They stayed in silence for a little while, Harry was trying to make him see that he understood what he had been through, at least to some extent, and that he appreciated Draco telling him what he was thinking; he didn’t need to be worried about Draco not seeing it, though, Draco knew that Harry was thankful for the truthfulness, and that was all the reassurance he needed to know that telling Harry had been a good decision.   
  
“I think I get why it was so important for you to hear me say what I did. And I’ll say it again and again if you need me to.”

  
Harry smiled at him then, a bright, happy smile that made Draco all too aware of how beautiful Harry looked with it on his face, a smile that Draco wanted to see more often. Harry moved his hand to grab Draco’s in his and squeezed it softly.

  
Draco smiled back at him, amazed by how easy it was with Harry. The noise of people leaving the castle towards the Quidditch pitch interrupting their moment and alerting them to the hour.   
  
“We should get going, the game will start soon,” Harry said.   
  
The both of them got up and smiled at each other as a goodbye, Harry going to the castle to be with his team and Draco going to the pitch where he would help Madame Hooch prepare everything.   
  
“Potter,” he called making Harry turn to look at him again. “Good luck on the game.”   
  


* * *

  
  
“Ginny Weasley of Gryffindor takes the Quaffle immediately after it is in the air,” Draco starts, he still wonders why he agreed to comment the game. “I can’t believe you didn’t catch it, Caleb, it was right in front of your face.”   
  
From the corner of his eye, Draco saw the Headmistress scowl at his biased comment and he smiled cheekily at her, after all, this kind of comments were apparently one of the reasons they wanted him as a commentator.   
  
The game kept going back and forth like that for a while, Gryffindor was the first to score, but Slytherin retaliated immediately and the game stayed 10-10 for a while.   
  
“What are you doing, Greg? You’re a beater for a reason, you're supposed to stop the Bludger from hitting your teammates, not let it pass by you,” Draco scoffed.   
  
The ball had flown by Greg and had almost hit Daisy Clarke, one of the Slytherin chasers, causing her to lose the Quaffle to Amy Dean, one of the Gryffindor chasers.   
  
“Good job, Sophie,” Draco said when the girl stopped the ball from going through one of the loops. “It seems like you’re the only one who knows how to play this game.”   
  
“That’s it, Phoenix, hit your own team’s other beater with the bludger, good work,” Draco said cheerfully.   
  
The points kept going like that, the two teams were almost always tied. If Slytherin scored, Gryffindor did it right after. The biggest difference in the score had happened when Daisy Clarke, Slytherin chaser, had been hit on the arm by a bludger and had to leave the game for a few minutes. Thankfully, she had been able to go back to the game quickly and they had been able to tie the game again.   
  
“It seems like the seekers have spotted the snitch,” Draco said into the mic, looking at where Blaise and Harry were chasing each other.   
  
The game was tied then, and it seemed like it would stay like that, the result completely in the hands of the seekers, whoever team caught the snitch would win.   
  
“Come on, Blaise, is that what you call being fast?”   
  
Draco thought he heard Blaise scream a “fuck off” when he passed by where he was commenting.   
  
“Good try, Lexi,” he told Gryffindor's keeper when the Quaffle went through the loop. “You should ask Sophie for some lessons.”   
  
The voices around the pitch grew louder, the crowd going wild and more enthusiastic when both Blaise and Harry dived in, looking like they caught sight of the snitch again. They were chasing each other frantically, the snitch seemed to be teasing them, going up and then down, not giving them a chance to catch it.   
  
It was a hypnotic dance and Draco couldn’t take his eyes off of them, he had even forgotten that there were more player and more things going on in the pitch, not commenting on anything except the two seekers. His inability to avert his eyes from the two of them, while not really thinking about the words coming out of his mouth, was the reason why he said what he said.   
  
“You have a really nice ass, Potter, but you can’t just bend over your broom like that.”   
  
Draco noticed what he said when he saw Harry’s broom stop suddenly, going over his words in his head and feeling his cheeks colour slightly when he processed it. He had just said that in front of the whole crowd, it was kind of embarrassing, but Draco wouldn’t take it back. Especially because Harry’s distraction after his commented had been everything Blaise had needed to leave him behind and close his hand around the little golden ball.   
  
And when the crowd went wild, Draco realized three things.   
  
Slytherin had won the game, maybe thanks to his comment;   
  
The Headmistress was glaring at him and he would surely be in trouble for it;   
  
And that he couldn’t deny the attraction he felt for Harry anymore, he couldn’t and he wouldn’t.   
  


* * *

  
  
The Headmistress had scolded Draco as soon as the commotion in the pitch had moved away from it. She had been mad about his biased comments, but the comment about Harry had been the final straw of her patience. She seemed more angered about this comment than about the one he had made the year before about the Hufflepuff player, but Draco suspected it was because his comment had distracted Harry enough to give Slytherin the victory. Although Headmistress, she was still Gryffindor after all.   
  
As a punishment, she had given him a week of detention and made him go put the things they had used for the game back inside the broom closet, a clear instruction not to use any magic.   
  
He was straightening some brooms, mumbling complains to himself when he heard someone enter. He turned around to look at the door, Harry was standing there, in his usual uniform, having already showered, broom on his hand and blush on his face.   
  
“I just came to return the broom, I broke mine this summer and I had to borrow one of the school ones.”   
  
Draco nodded and moved until he was in front of Harry. He took the broom out of his hand and leaned it against the wall, before looking back at the boy.   
  
“You can leave it, I have to clear up things here, anyway.”   
  
“Why do you have to do it?”   
  
“Let's just say that the Headmistress didn't like my comments very much,” he took in the way Harry blushed and added, “not that I lied with any of them.”   
  
Harry looked down, seemingly finding their shoes interesting. It was endearing to say the least, seeing Harry as red as his tie, stuttering words and not looking at Draco’s eyes, it was cute and Draco couldn't help but smile. He couldn't take his eyes off of the beautiful boy in front of him.   
  
Draco moved his hand to Harry's cheek, making him look up at him and smiled slightly at the pretty green eyes that met his. He leaned down, noses touching and eyes closing. Draco couldn't believe that it was happening, but it was everything he had been wanting since their dance.   
  
“Harry, are you in here?” Ron’s voice coming from outside the broom closet made them jump apart.   
  
Harry stuttered something that Draco hadn't been able to hear and left the closet as fast as he could. Draco sighed when Harry disappeared, sad about the opportunity they had missed, but determined to make it happen again and this time finish what they had started.


End file.
